Publications

Abstract The chromone scaffold has been found to be an important tool in the drug discovery process through its relevant pharmacological activities. Chromone carboxamide derivatives synthesized within our group have shown noteworthy results as inhibitors of monoamino oxidase-B and as ligands for adesonine receptors. Specifically, chromone-2-carboxamide has been shown to be a privileged structure for the development of selective A(3) adenosine receptor ligands. In this work two novel substituted 4-oxo-N-phenyl-4H-chromene-2-carboxamides have been synthesized and a complete structural characterization was performed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, one-dimensional and two-dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance techniques and Mass Spectroscopy. Finally, the molecular and supramolecular structures were determined by X-ray analysis. The X-ray crystallographic analysis describes in detail the molecular conformation and supramolecular structure of a hemihydrate of 7-methoxy-4-oxo-N-phenyl-4H-chromene-2-carboxamide. The data acquired from this study add valuable information to our chromone database. The unambiguous identification of the compounds will support the understanding of the structure-activity relationships of these compounds.

Abstract Pesticides continue to play an important role in pest management. However, the intensive pesticide application has triggered several environment negative effects that cannot be disregarded. In this study, the inclusion complex of pyrimethanil with HP-beta-CD has been prepared and characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The formation of the pyrimethanil/HP-beta-CD inclusion complex increased the aqueous solubility of this fungicide around five times. To assess the influence of microencapsulation on the environmental photostability of the fungicide, the photochemical degradation of pyrimethanil and pyrimethanil/HP-beta-CD-inclusion complex has been investigated in different aqueous media such as ultrapure and river water under simulated solar irradiation. The studies allow concluding that pyrimethanil/HP-beta-CD inclusion complex increases significantly the photostability of the fungicide in aqueous solutions, especially in natural water. Actually, the half-life of pyrimethanil/HP-beta-CD inclusion complex was increased approximately by a factor of four when compared to the free fungicide. The overall results point out that pyrimethanil can be successfully encapsulated by HP-beta-CD, a process that can improve its solubility and photostability properties.

Abstract Simple chromones, a group of heterocyclic compounds, have been studied as a fruitful approach in medicinal chemistry and consequently, with value as a privileged scaffold. The main classic routes for the obtention of simple chromones from ortho-hydroxyarylalkylketones enclose three synthetic approaches, synthesis via Claisen condensation (classic Claisen condensation, Baker-Venkatamaran, and Kostanecki-Robinson reaction), synthesis via benzopyrylium salts and via Vilsmeier-Haack reaction. Chromones can be obtained by the reaction of a phenol with acetylenic dicarboxylic acids or esters or with chlorofumaric acid, or other analogues, in basic conditions, such as metallic sodium. Heterocyclic-substituted chromones are probably one of the most representative derivatives as these types of entities are very important as ligands in the medicinal chemistry artwork. It is expected that the research performed with type of compounds will uncover further interesting aspects in the medicinal field.

Abstract The growing awareness of the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) solar radiation has increased the production and consumption of sunscreen products, which contain organic and inorganic molecules named UV filters that absorb, reflect, or scatter UV radiation, thus minimizing negative human health effects. 4-tert-Butyl-4'-methoxydibenzoylmethane (BMDBM) is one of the few organic UVA filters and the most commonly used. BMDBM exists in sunscreens in the end l form which absorbs strongly in the UVA range. However, under sunlight irradiation tautomerization occurs to the keto form, resulting in the loss of UV protection. In this study we have performed quantum chemical calculations to study the excited-state molecular structure and excitation spectra of the enol and keto tautomers of BMDBM. This knowledge is of the utmost importance as the starting point for studies aiming at the understanding of its activity when applied on human skin and also its fate once released into the aquatic environment. The efficiency of excitation transitions was rationalized based on the concept of molecular orbital superposition. The loss of UV protection was attributed to. the enol -> keto phototautomerism and subsequent photodegradation. Although this process is not energetically favorable in the singlet bright state, photodegradation is possible because of intersystem crossing to the first two triplet states.

Abstract The decomposition mechanism of vinyl azide (CH2CHN3) has been studied by calculations of the electronic structure. In addition, a study based on the topology of the electron charge density distribution and its Laplacian function, within the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM), has been carried out with the aim of comprehending the electron redistribution mechanisms that take place in the formation of vinyl nitrenes. The electronic structure calculations reveal that the decomposition of the s-cis conformer of vinyl azide leads to the formation of ketenimine through a single-step conversion, s-cis-CH2CHN3 -> CH2CNH + N-2, while the conversion of the s-trans conformer to acetonitrile occurs in two steps, s-trans-CH2CHN3 -> cyc-CH2NCH + N-2 -> CH3CN + N-2. The topological analysis of the L(r) function reveals that triplet vinyl nitrene has one lone pair on the valence shell charge concentration (VSCC) of nitrogen and thus could act as a monodentate Lewis base, while singlet vinyl nitrene has two lone pairs on the VSCC of nitrogen and thus could act as a bidentate Lewis base.

Abstract Noncovalent dispersion of carbon nanotubes is essential to most applications but still poorly understood at the molecular level. The interaction of the dispersing molecule with the nanotube, wrapping or nonwrapping, still awaits consensus. Herein, we have studied by H-1 NMR diffusometry some features of molecular dynamics in the system of carbon nanotubes dispersed by triblock copolymer Pluronics F127 in water. The diffusional decays obtained at different diffusion times, Delta, are not single-exponential and have a complex Delta-dependent profile, ultimately implying that the polymer is observed in two states: free (in unimeric form) and nanotube-bound. Fitting a two-site exchange model to the data indicates that at any instant, only a small fraction of polymers are adsorbed on the nanotubes, with polydisperse residence times in the range of 100-400 ms. Most significantly, we further provide an estimate of D = (3-8) x 10(-12) m(2) s(-1) the coefficient of lateral diffusion of the polymer along the nanotube surface, which is an order of magnitude slower than the corresponding self-diffusion coefficient in water. The emerging picture is that of a nonwrapping mode for the polymer-nanotube interaction.

Abstract The heat of hydrogenation of indenone was measured via two partially independent thermodynamic cycles by carrying out energetic measurements (i.e., electron affinities, proton affinities and ionization potentials) on both negative and positive ions (Delta H-H2 degrees = 17.8 +/- 5.5 and 17.5 +/- 5.7 kcal mol(-1), respectively). High level G3 computations were also carried out to provide the heats of formation of indenone (16.8 kcal mol(-1)) and cyclopentadienone (14.0 kcal mol(-1)). These 4n pi electron systems are found to be nonaromatic in contrast to previous views. A recent report on cyclopropenyl anion (J. Org. Chem. 2013, 78, 7370-7372) indicates that this ion is also nonaromatic, and suggests that NMR ring currents and nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS) calculations do not correlate with the energetic criterion for antiaromatic compounds.

Abstract Highly phototuminescent carbon dots have been prepared in a one step procedure by hydrothermal treatment of formaldehyde at 180 degrees C. They show green fluorescence under UV light exposure and emission spectra are centered at 440 nm. Fluorescence lifetimes comprise between 0.7 and 2.70 ns, when the synthesis process lasted for 1-7 days. TEM images of nanoparticles showed a homogeneous size/shape distribution. When the thermal treatment process was carried out for a long time (30 days) formation of aggregates occurred. Carbon dots were further analyzed using H-1 and C-13-NMR, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy techniques and XPS. Cell imaging of nanopartictes was carried out by using mouse MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts as a model. The nanoparticles were selectively localized in the cytoplasm without further functionalization and could be realized by cellular phagocytosis, so that the fluorescence of these can be used for live cell imaging in vitro.

Abstract The vapor pressures of crystalline and liquid phases of methyl p-hydroxybenzoate and of methyl p-methoxybenzoate were measured over the temperature ranges (338.9 to 423.7) K and (292.0 to 355.7) K respectively, using a static method based on diaphragm capacitance gauges. The vapor pressures of the crystalline phase of the former compound were also measured in the temperature range (323.1 to 345.2) K using a Knudsen mass-loss effusion technique. The results enabled the determination of the standard molar enthalpies, entropies and Gibbs free energies of sublimation and of vaporization, at T = 298.15 K, as well as phase diagram representations of the (p, T) experimental data, including the triple point. The temperatures and molar enthalpies of fusion of both compounds were determined using differential scanning calorimetry and were compared with the results indirectly derived from the vapor pressure measurements. The standard (p degrees = 10(5) Pa) molar enthalpies of formation, in the crystalline phase, at T = 298.15 K, of the compounds studied were derived from their standard massic energies of combustion measured by static-bomb combustion calorimetry. From the experimental results, the standard molar enthalpies of formation, in the gaseous phase at T = 298.15 K, were calculated and compared with the values estimated by employing quantum chemical computational calculations. A good agreement between experimental and theoretical results is observed. To analyze the thermodynamic stability of the two compounds studied, the standard Gibbs free energies of formation in crystalline and gaseous phases were undertaken. The standard molar enthalpies of formation of the title compounds were also estimated from two different computational approaches using density functional theory-based B3LYP and the multilevel G3 methodologies.

Abstract Cationic gemini surfactants have strong potential as compaction agents of nucleic acids for efficient non-viral gene delivery. In this work, we present the aggregation behavior of three novel cationic serine-based gemini surfactants as well as their ability to compact DNA per se and mixed with a helper lipid, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE). All the surfactants have a 12-12-12 configuration, i.e. two main 12-carbon alkyl chains linked to the nitrogen atom of the amino acid residue and a 12 methylene spacer, but they differ in the nature of the spacer linkage: for (12Ser)(2)N12,an amine bond; for (12Ser)(2)CON12, an amide bond; and for (12Ser)(2)COO12, an ester bond. Interestingly, while the amine-based gemini aggregates into micelles, the amide and ester ones spontaneously form vesicles, which denotes a strong influence of the type of linkage on the surfactant packing parameter. The size, zeta-potential and stability of the vesicles have been characterized by light microscopy, cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The interaction of the gemini aggregates with DNA at different charge ratios and in the absence and presence of DOPE has been studied by DLS, fluorescence spectroscopy and cryo-SEM. All the compounds are found to efficiently compact DNA (complexation > 90%), but relevant differences are obtained in terms of the size, zeta-potential and stability of the lipoplexes formed. Results are rationalized in terms of headgroup differences and the type of aggregates present prior to DNA condensation.